BRAINCAKEBiotic Factors and Population Size
Biotic factors are the effects of living organisms on a population. In AQA terms, population size can vary as a result of interactions between organisms: competition and predation. Disease and parasitism also act as biotic factors.
The main biotic factors are:
• Intraspecific competition: competition between individuals of the same species for resources such as food, water, light, space and mates.
• Interspecific competition: competition between individuals of different species for the same resources.
• Predation: one organism (the predator) kills and eats another (the prey), so the size of each population affects the other.
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More in Populations in Ecosystems
- Ecosystems
- Niches
- Carrying Capacity
- Abiotic Factors and Population Size
- Intraspecific Competition
- Interspecific Competition
- Predator-Prey Relationships
- Estimating Population Size with Quadrats
All 20 lessons in Populations in Ecosystems · All AQA A-level Biology topics